Cultural Heritage and Identity

Cultural heritage has a fundamental impact on daily life, giving deeper meaning to the ordinary, providing a greater sense of temporality, and contributing to the existence of (sub)groups and individual identities.

Cultural Heritage and Identity

Cultural heritage is both material and immaterial and can be equally part of tangible and virtual sites of memory. It is bound to space but, on the other hand, is not static; it transforms and is constantly reshaped by national rituals and the circulation of transnational forms of lore. Cultural heritage is a resource that can be harnessed for diverse agendas, as it plays a crucial role in socio-political processes of inclusion and exclusion, and helps us address important social issues, including those of diversity and migration. Moreover, studying and preserving heritage provides knowledge highly relevant to policy-making from a unique humanities perspective.

Cultural Heritage and Identity at the Faculty of Humanities

Cultural heritage is related to processes of social and technological change, often in relation to the dynamics of conflict and memory, and has a long, rich tradition within the faculty. The Faculty of Humanities has identified two sub-themes, both of which are deeply embedded in teaching and research:

Material and Intangible Heritage with a strong interdisciplinary approach and fed from Digital Humanities;
Cultural heritage and social change.

Faculty lead

Chiara De Cesari is Professor of Heritage and Memory and Chair of Cultural Studies at the University of Amsterdam. Trained in socio-cultural anthropology (PhD Stanford 2009), she is an internationally significant voice in debates over the geopolitical trajectories of contemporary culture.